The Budget clues that point to a general election next autumn

Jeremy Hunt's Budget speech was delivered to backbench Tories on Wednesday night.

All the signs pointed towards a series of policy announcements designed to make voters feel better about themselves.

From April next year working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours' free childcare a week.

The cap on the lifetime pensions saving allowance is abolished completely in April.

The wider economic picture is improving too, with inflation now forecast to have fallen from 10.7% to 2.9% by the end of this year.